Adjustable chopper diverter for a spray gun

ABSTRACT

A flow control device for mounting on a plural component spray gun for controlling the flow of short segments of fiberglass, liquid or powder, into a fan spray pattern of mixed components ejected from a nozzle of the spray gun. An internal passage in the flow control device is provided with a pair of resilient, rectangular plate members movable between open and throttling positions, so as to precisely control the flow of material into the fan spray pattern emitted by the spray gun. The pair of resilient plates are movable by adjusting screws passing through threaded openings formed in opposed side walls of the flow control device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to spray guns and, more particularly,to an adjustable chopper diverter for a spray component system.

2. Description of Related Art

In sophisticated spray component systems, known as plural componentsystems, two or more components are concurrently sprayed from a spraygun. One of the most useful plural component systems is a fiberglasssystem. In such a system, a first component, composed of a resin, issprayed from one nozzle, and a second component, composed of a catalyst,is fed from another nozzle and mixed in a spray directly in front of thespray gun. As soon as the components are mixed, a reaction starts,polymerizing the resin into a solid, coherent mass. However, when theresin is atomized into a spray pattern, misting occurs, resulting inlower fiberglass and resin transfer rates and higher styrene emissions.Spraying of a third component, such as a "chop" into such mixed sprayssignificantly reduce styrene emissions. Therefore, fiberglass spray gunsmay be augmented by including a chopper assembly which chops up afiberglass roving and concurrently sprays short segments of fiberglassinto the spray pattern of the mixed resin and catalyst ejected from theresin and catalyst nozzles. This composite, mixed with the shortfiberglass strands embedded in the catalyzed resin, is directed to asurface for polymerization on the surface to form the fiberglassarticle.

Other known equipment mixes components, such as resin and catalyst at amanifold somewhere in or behind the spray gun. Such equipment sprays ahigh velocity mix of components, combined with blown air, and a chop,liquid or powder is directed into the mix, to create a fiberglass orother materials. In such equipment, as well as the fiberglass spray gunmentioned above, the components can be mixed at the nozzle before itflows out in front of the gun in a fan type pattern. The choppedfiberglass, liquid or powder is then mixed with the fan type pattern infront of the nozzle. However, in known spray guns, the material beinginjected into the fan spray pattern tends to scatter and miss part ofthe fan spray pattern, thus causing wastage and not eliminating allemissions. This is somewhat ameliorated by using a chopper diverter or"chute" system to control the flow of such material into the spray fanpattern. But, the known diverters and/or chute systems do not providesufficient control of the flow of the injected material into fan spraypattern, at all speeds and pressures.

Therefore, there exists the need in the art for an easy to manufactureand use means to control the flow of the chop or other material into thefan spray pattern of mixed components in front of a spray gun.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to providean improved flow control means. It is a particular object of the presentinvention to provide an improved chopper diverter for a spray gun. It isa still more particular object of the present invention to provide animproved chopper diverter having adjustable control means. It is yetanother more particular object of the present invention to provide animproved adjustable chopper diverter means for use with choppedfiberglass, liquids, powders, or the like, to control the spray of suchmaterial into a component mixture exiting from a spray gun nozzle.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a flow control device having a plurality of adjustable controlmeans therein, for mounting to a plural component spray system tocontrol the direction of flow of material exiting from the adjustablecontrol means into a fan spray pattern.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed tobe novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Thepresent invention, both as to organization and manner of operation,together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood byreference to the following description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plural component spray gun, such as afiberglass system having a chopper system with an improved chopperdiverter of the present invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of thechopper diverter of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the chopper diverter of FIG. 2, takenalong lines 3--3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description is provided to enable any person skilled inthe art to be able to use the invention and sets forth the best modescontemplated by the inventor for carry out his invention. Variousmodifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, since the generic principals of the present invention have beendefined herein, specifically to provide for a novel and improved flowcontrol means 10.

The flow control means is described in connection with use in a spraygun having a standard chopper system for chopping up and spraying shortsegments of fiberglass into a fan spray pattern, exiting from a nozzleof a spray gun. It is to be understood, however, that this flow controlmeans could also be used with liquids, powders or other materials thatare sprayed into a fan spray pattern in front of a spray gun.

Turning now to FIG. 1, there shown is a spray gun 12 capable of sprayinga plural component system, such as a fiberglass component system througha nozzle 14, by means well known by those skilled in the art. The outerboundaries of the fan spray pattern ("fan") 15, such as from afiberglass component system, is defined by lines 16 on either sidethereof. A standard chopper system 18 is mounted to and driven on thespray gun 12, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. Thischopper system 18 includes the adjustable flow control means 10, such asa chopper diverter of the present invention mounted thereon. The flowcontrol means 10 is held in place by a plurality of holding means 20,such as bolts or screws. The chopper diverter 10 includes hollow bodyhaving a plurality of adjustable plate means 22, 24, secured therein.The plate means 22, 24, may be made from any desired material, such as ametal or plastic, and control the flow of material, such as choppedfibers 26, exiting from the chopper assembly 18, into the fan 15. Theplate means 22 and 24 are adjustable to keep the flow of the choppedfibers between the boundary lines 16 of the fan. It, therefore, can beseen that the adjustable plates allow greater control of the flow of thechop into the fan, therefore, avoiding wastage and minimizing harmfulemissions.

Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is shown in more detail a preferredembodiment of the chopper diverter 10. The chopper diverter 10 includesa pair of outwardly extending arms or feet 28, 30, having openingsformed therethrough, for receipt of the holding means 20, to secure thechopper diverter to the chopper system 18, as is shown in FIG. 1. Thebody of the chopper diverter 10, may be of any desired shape, but isshown as being a hollow rectangle having a central internal or throughpassage bounded by two end walls 32, 34, and two side walls 36, 38. Eachof the end walls 32, 34, carry adjusting means 40, 42, such as bolts orscrews, threadedly received in openings formed through each of the endwalls. The inner end of each adjusting means 40, 42, contacts anadjustable plate means 22, 24. Upon actuation of either or both of theadjustable means 40, 42, the adjustable plate means 22, 24, will bemoved between the open and closed positions shown in FIG. 3, eithersubstantially parallel to, or against the inner portion of the walls 32,34, as shown in solid line, or a closed or inner position, as shown inbroken line, in FIG. 3. In the closed or inner position shown in brokenline, the plates 22, 24 control or throttle material flowingtherethrough, in the direction of arrow 42.

Each of the adjustable plates 22, 24, is preferably resilient, withplate 24 shown as being spaced from an inner wall 46, as by means of aspacer or solid portion 48. However, it is to be understood that plate24 may also be mounted directly against inner wall 46, in the samemanner as shown for resilient plate 22.

Except for the resilient adjustable plate means 22, 24, and adjustingmeans 40, 42, the chopper diverter 10 is of a standard constructionknown to those skilled in the art. The body of diverter 10 is preferablymade from a hardened metal or plastic, with the moveable adjustableplates 22, 24, made from a resilient plastic or a metal, such as springor stainless steel. The resilient, adjustable plate means 22,24, aresecured at one end thereof to the respective inner walls 45 and 46, ator near the top portion thereof at 50, as by welding.

In operation, the adjustable flow control means of the present inventionis secured to the chopper assembly 18, as by means of threaded bolts orscrews 20 passing through openings in arms 28 and 30. Then, depending onthe velocities of the mixed components coming out of the spray gun 12and the chop 26 into the fan 15, the resilient adjustable plate means22, 24, will be adjusted inwardly or outwardly, by the adjusting means40 and 42, to more accurately and positively control the flow of theexiting chop so that it enters between the lines 16 of the fan 15.

It, thus, can be seen that the adjustable flow control means of thepresent invention provides an improved and easy-to-use system foraccurately controlling material being injected into a fan of sprayedmaterial, to improve the operation of a fiberglass or other spray gun,to both save material and lower harmful emissions.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations andmodifications of the just-described, preferred embodiments can beconfigured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appendedclaims, the invention may be practiced other than as specificallydescribed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A chopper diverter for chopped, short segments offiberglass sprayed into a fan spray pattern emitted by a spray gun,comprising, in combination:the spray gun having a nozzle which ejects apair of components which are mixed in a fan spray pattern outside of thenozzle; a chopper assembly on the spray gun; the chopper diverter havinga rectangular body with a pair of side walls secured to the chopperassembly, adjacent the nozzle, to spray a plurality of chopped, shortfiberglass segments into the fan spray patter; the rectangular bodybeing entirely made from a hardened metal; means for securing thechopper diverter on the chopper assembly; a pair of adjustable resilientplates held within an interior through passage formed in the chopperdiverter for adjusting the flow of chopped, short fiberglass segmentsthrough the chopper diverter and into the fan spray pattern of the mixedcomponents and a pair of cooperating adjusting screws passing throughopenings in wall portions of the chopper diverter.
 2. A chopper diverterfor chopped, short segments of fiberglass sprayed into a fan spraypattern emitted by a spray gun, comprising, in combination:the spray gunhaving a nozzle which ejects a pair of components which are mixed in afan spray pattern outside of the nozzle; a chopper assembly on the spraygun; the chopper diverter having a rectangular body with a pair of endwalls and a pair of side walls secured to the chopper assembly, adjacentthe nozzle, to spray a plurality of chopped, short fiberglass segmentsinto the fan spray pattern; means for securing the chopper diverter onthe chopper assembly; a pair of adjustable resilient plates held withinan interior through passage formed in the chopper diverter and securedto a portion of the end walls for adjusting the flow of chopped, shortfiberglass segments through the chopper diverter and into the fan spraypattern of the mixed components; and a pair of cooperating adjustingscrews passing through openings in the pair of side walls of the chopperdiverter.
 3. The chopper diverter of claim 2 wherein the adjustable,resilient plates are welded to interior portions of the end walls.